Food and American TV : Constructing Identity in Bite-Sized Narratives

This interdisciplinary volume investigates American serial television, exploring how food serves as compelling. The book will be of great interest to students and scholars of food studies, media studies, cultural studies and literary studies.

This interdisciplinary volume investigates American serial television, exploring how food serves as a compelling lens to examine cultural narratives, societal dynamics, and the artistry of storytelling. As both a mirror and a molder of cultural values, television serves as a powerful platform for ideological discourse and public consciousness. Within this dynamic medium, the portrayal of food emerges as a fascinating lens through which cultural identities and social dynamics are both reflected and reimagined. This volume employs a rich array of methodologies to reveal how television shapes and reflects societal narratives, cultural norms, and personal identities. By intersecting literary and media studies with the vibrant field of food studies, a discipline that unpacks the intricate ties between food, culture, and identity, this volume explores how American identity is constructed, challenged, and redefined when food takes center stage in serial television. The chapters examine narrative-driven series such as The Brady Bunch, The Bear, Star Trek, Ted Lasso, Only Murders in the Building, Lessons in Chemistry, and others, emphasizing the role of food and drink in shaping characters, advancing plots, establishing settings, and driving conflicts to resolution. Through this exploration, the collection examines how culinary symbols on the small screen become a narrative device for interrogating the essence of American identity. The book will be of great interest to students and scholars of food studies, media studies, cultural studies, and literary studies.